Admin
17 Apr, 2020
UDM donates to Coronavirus Solidarity Fund
Ms Gloria Serobe Chairperson of the Solidarity Fund Dear Ms Serobe UNITED DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT’S DONATION TO SOLIDARITY FUND We greet you at this critical time of South Africa’s battle against the Coronavirus pandemic on our shores, in the spirit of empathy and unity. In line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call that public representatives make donations to the Solidarity Fund, as one of the tools which this nation is using to combat Covid-19, the United Democratic Movement’s (UDM) public representatives, at all three levels, is pledging R300,000 to the Fund for three months, starting in June 2020. Over and above that, the UDM has set aside R200,000 for the purchase of masks and food for needy families. We hope that these donations will make a difference and wish you God’s speed in all your efforts. Yours sincerely Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP UDM President
Admin
09 Apr, 2020
Holomisa writes to NCCC re COVID-19 lockdown review
Dear Chairperson of the National Coronavirus Command Council IMPORTANT MATTERS TO CONSIDER DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN REVIEW I wish to thank you for taking us, as political parties and stakeholders in South African society, for the confidence you showed in consulting us regarding the COVID-19 lockdown. We still endorse this critical move to find a lasting solution. We realise that this is a trial-and-error process and in line with your announcement that the decision for a lockdown will be reviewed, I ,yesterday, took it upon myself to do a snapshot survey asking South Africans the following on my social networks: “South African Review of Lockdown. We are past the halfway mark of the 21-day lockdown period and the government is busy reviewing the effectiveness of the lockdown in preventing the spread of Covid-19. Which regulations do you think should be reviewed and why? I intend compiling your suggestions and submit them to the President since he involved us as leaders of political parties right from the beginning in this coronavirus saga. I anticipate that he might consult us once more, if he intends to make changes. All the best.” Please note that, browsing through these comments, people, amongst others, are calling for government to carefully investigate the economic impact of the lockdown, given that the socio-economic conditions of South Africans are remarkably diverse and that no one solution can fit all. I submit these comments as is, but it should go a long way in finding a lasting solution; please see their comments and proposals on Twitter and Facebook. There are a number of well thought through ideas and comments from the people closest to this pandemic. Please also see the attached email from Ms Diane Redelinghuys for some additional suggestions. However, please note that the United Democratic Movement (UDM) is concerned that there are signs of maladministration regarding tenders during this time as evidenced in the City Press article: “Outrage over Gauteng’s 24-hour, R30m express tender” published on 5 April 2020. See also a Sunday Times article of 5 April 2020 “‘Sub-standard sanitisers, masks for soldiers’” and “Soldiers ‘forced’ to patrol streets during lockdown in ‘unsafe gear‘” regarding R10 million that had been spent on allegedly unsafe sanitisers and masks. There are also allegations of a R50 million tender allocated to a certain Kirinox non-profit organisation to provide services for the homeless and street children’s shelters (see the announcement by the Deputy Minister of Social Development on the left). We hear that this NPO has already submitted an invoice for R20 million. Regarding Minister Ndabeni Abrahams’ now infamous visit to Mr Mduduzi Manana’s house during lockdown, the jury is still out as to exactly what was being discussed in a situation where you have a minister and staff of the presidency present, and that the host had the temerity to say that the minister only came to fetch personal protective equipment, as a donation from his foundation. There are legitimate worries that this could be the tip of the iceberg and since Parliament and the provincial legislatures are shut down, there is no level of oversight and monitoring. In addition, people are concerned that there is no mechanism in place where any suspected maladministration and corruption can be reported. The UDM would therefore suggest that a small body be put in place, comprised of representatives of the Human Rights Commission, National Treasury, the Special Investigation Unit, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Auditor General, the Hawks and the police, to monitor government’s tendering processes during this time. This oversight and monitoring body, chaired by a judge, should be given the necessary powers to act, as ministers and deputy-ministers tend to give political directives to accounting officers. Given the history of this country, we cannot rely on the word of ministers and/or deputy-ministers in these matters. We hope that you and your colleagues will take our citizens’ and the UDM’s suggestions on board in the review of the COVID-19 lockdown. Yours sincerely Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP UDM President
Admin
24 Mar, 2020
COVID-19: Holomisa writes to NCCC: “Keep SA clean”
Dear Chairperson of the National Coronavirus Command Council CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANLINESS AND HEALTH DURING COVID-19 CRISIS AND LOCKDOWN As I stated at the Union Buildings on 22 March 2020, when the President and some of us as political leaders addressed the nation, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) believes that in order for South Africa to succeed in combating COVID-19, our plan should be guided by discipline, clean environment, speed and control. Even though all the other legs are vital, the UDM believes that a clean environment is of paramount importance. For, whether one lives in the rural villages, townships, informal settlements, cities, towns and even the leafy suburbs, the phenomenon of littering and dumping can be seen all over. As we know, the socioeconomic impacts of a dirty and foul environment run abound. Littering and dumping can promote the transmission of disease and in particular, for example, tyres and containers are perfect for collecting water and provide ideal places for mosquitos to breed, disease carrying rats multiply in these environs and contaminated medical waste can spread diseases. To compound matters, there is already anecdotal evidence that rats are becoming a problem where countries have imposed a Coronavirus lockdown as, for instance, restaurants abandon activity and people leave garbage bags out in the open, which attract rats. Now that the streets are empty of people, rats have come from their hiding places and move around with ease. Waste management in this critical period of our nation’s health should be on all our minds, but especially on that of government. As an essential service, government cannot drop this ball. However, it is not only incumbent on government to do something about environmental health and waste management. We therefore call on the National Coronavirus Command Council to direct our nation to de-litter and clean their environs as a matter of urgency. Shop owners must clear packaging and other waste materials from the backs of their shops and alleyways. Vehicle drivers, especially those in the public transport industry, must ensure that passengers do not throw garbage out of car, bus, taxi and train windows. Factory managers and owners must urgently clear dump sites on their properties. Most importantly, each individual person must take responsibility for his/her actions and surroundings, and should stop this mentality of thinking it’s someone else’s problem or that it isn’t a problem at all. As from now on, anyone seen littering or throwing out things from a vehicle window, must be stopped and made to pick up his/her garbage. We need to instil a new culture of tidiness and personal environmental responsibility. Unfortunately littering and dumping sites have scarred our environmental landscape for decades and the mess has been building up. In order to help government to catch-up and level the ground, so to speak, the Council may want to appeal to truck-owners and construction companies to make their equipment available to reinforce municipalities in dealing with this problem, thus embarking on a massive 21-day clean-up exercise. If our proposal is accepted, ideally speaking, one of the unintended consequences of this Coronavirus lockdown could be a cleaner South Africa. The UDM would like to take this opportunity to wish upon the President and the National Coronavirus Command Council the strength and stamina required to see South Africa through this crisis. God bless us all. Yours sincerely Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP
